Methods, Devices and Computer Program Products for Operating Mobile Devices Responsive to User Input Through Movement Thereof

1. A method of operating a mobile device having first and second modes of operation, the method comprising: detecting a predefined localized movement of a housing of the mobile device using a sensor associated therewith; associating the detected predefined localized movement with different first and second functions of the mobile device responsive to a user input assigning the detected predefined localized movement to the first and second functions; associating a predetermined delay time with the detected predefined localized movement responsive to a user input defining the predetermined delay time or assigning the predefined localized movement thereto; performing the first function responsive to detecting the predefined localized movement in the first mode of operation; and performing the second function responsive to detecting the predefined localized movement in the second mode of operation; wherein performing the first or second function further comprises performing the first or second function at the predetermined delay time after detecting the predefined localized movement.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting a predefined localized movement comprises: detecting a localized movement of the housing in a user-defined pattern using the sensor; and storing parameters generated by the sensor corresponding to the user-defined pattern in a memory of the mobile device to define the predefined localized movement.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mode of operation comprises a communication mode, and wherein the second mode of operation comprises a standby mode.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first or second mode of operation comprises an application execution mode in which a particular application on the mobile device is executing.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the first or second function further comprises: performing the first or second function responsive to concurrently detecting the predefined localized movement and depression of a button of the mobile device.

6. The method of clam 1 , wherein the predefined localized movement comprises tilting, shaking, waving, or snapping the mobile device housing.

7. A computer program product for operating a mobile device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to carry out the method of claim 1 .

8. A method of operating a mobile device having a standby mode of operation and a messaging application execution mode of operation, the method comprising: detecting a predefined localized movement of a housing of the mobile device using a sensor associated therewith; associating the detected predefined localized movement with a first function of the mobile device comprising a wireless device or network search function and a second function of the mobile device comprising a presence information update function responsive to a user input assigning the detected predefined localized movement thereto; searching for wireless devices or networks in a vicinity of the mobile device responsive to detecting the predefined localized movement in the standby mode; and updating presence information responsive to detecting the predefined localized movement in the messaging application execution mode.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the predefined localized movement comprises a sweeping motion.

10. A method of operating a mobile device, the method comprising: detecting a first predefined localized movement of a housing of the mobile device using a sensor associated therewith; detecting a second predefined localized movement of the housing that is different from the first predefined localized movement using the sensor; associating the first predefined localized movement with a function of the mobile device; associating the second predefined localized movement with a predetermined delay time for performing the function of the mobile device; in response to detecting the second predefined localized movement and after detecting the first predefined localized movement, delaying performance of the function associated with the first predefined localized movement by the predetermined delay time associated with the second predefined localized movement; and then performing the function at the predetermined delay time.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: associating the predetermined delay time with the second predefined localized movement responsive to a user input defining the predetermined delay time or assigning the second predefined localized movement thereto.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the following prior to associating the predetermined delay time: detecting a localized movement of the housing in a user-defined pattern using the sensor; and storing parameters generated by the sensor corresponding to the user-defined pattern in a memory of the mobile device to define the second predefined localized movement.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: increasing or decreasing the predetermined delay time responsive to detecting the second predefined localized movement more than once in a predefined time period after detecting the first predefined localized movement and prior to performing the function.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein increasing or decreasing the predetermined delay time comprises: increasing or decreasing the predetermined delay time by a predetermined time period responsive to each detection of the second predefined localized movement.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein performing the function at the predetermined delay time comprises performing the function after concurrently detecting the second predefined movement and depression of a button of the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the function comprises an alarm function, a camera timer function, a reminder function or a false rescue call function.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second predefined localized movement comprises a shaking motion, wherein the function comprises an audible alarm, and wherein performing the function at the predetermined delay time comprises broadcasting the audible alarm from a speaker of the mobile device.

18. A computer program product for operating a mobile device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein configured to carry out the method of claim 10 .

19. The method of claim 10 , further comprising: detecting a third predefined localized movement of the housing using the sensor; associating the detected third predefined localized movement with a second function of the mobile device that is different from the first function; and performing the second function responsive to detecting the third predefined localized movement and at the predetermined delay time after detecting the second predefined localized movement.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined delay time comprises a first predetermined delay time, and further comprising: associating the second predefined localized movement with a second predetermined delay time for performing the second function of the mobile device, wherein performing the first function further comprises performing the first function at the first predetermined delay time after detecting the second predefined localized movement in a first mode of operation of the mobile device, and wherein performing the second function further comprises performing the second function at the second predetermined delay time after detecting the second predefined localized movement in a second mode of operation of the mobile device.

21. A mobile device having first and second modes of operation, comprising: a mobile device housing; a sensor configured to detect localized movements of the housing; a user interface configured to receive a user input assigning a particular predefined localized movement to different first and second functions of the mobile device; and a controller coupled to the sensor and the user interface and configured to associate the predefined localized movement with the first and second functions responsive to receiving the user input, wherein the controller is further configured to perform the first function responsive to detection of the predefined localized movement in the first mode of operation and perform the second function responsive to detection of the predefined localized movement in the second mode of operation; wherein the controller is further configured to associate a predetermined delay time with the predefined localized movement responsive to a user input defining the predetermined delay time or assigning the predefined localized movement thereto and perform the first or second function at the predetermined delay time after detection of the predefined localized movement.

22. The device of claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to detect a localized movement of the housing in a user-defined pattern using the sensor, and further comprising: a memory unit coupled to the controller and configured to store parameters generated by the sensor corresponding to the user-defined pattern as the predefined localized movement.

23. The device of claim 21 , wherein the user interface comprises a keypad including a plurality of buttons, and wherein the controller is further configured to perform the first or second function responsive to concurrent detection of the predefined localized movement and depression of one of the plurality of buttons.

24. The device of claim 21 , wherein the user interface is further configured to receive a user input defining the predetermined delay time or assigning the predetermined delay time to the second predefined localized movement, wherein the controller is further configured to associate the predetermined delay time with the second predefined localized movement responsive to receiving the user input.

25. The device of claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to increase or decrease the predetermined delay time responsive to detection of the second predefined localized movement more than once in a predefined time period after detecting the first predefined localized movement and prior to performing the function.

26. The device of claim 25 , wherein the controller is configured to increase or decrease the predetermined delay time by a predetermined time period responsive to each detection of the second predefined localized movement.

27. A mobile device, comprising: a mobile device housing; a sensor configured to detect localized movements of the housing; and a controller coupled to the sensor and configured to associate a first predefined localized movement of the housing with a function of the mobile device, associate a second predefined localized movement of the housing that is different from the first predefined localized movement with a predetermined delay time for performing the function of the mobile device, delay performance of the function by the predetermined delay time after detection of the first predefined localized movement and in response to detection of the second predefined localized movement of the housing, and then perform the function at the predetermined delay time.

28. The device of claim 27 , wherein the controller is further configured to associate a third predefined localized movement of the housing with a second function of the mobile device that is different from the first function and perform the second function responsive to detection of the third predefined localized movement and at the predetermined delay time after detection of the second predefined localized movement.